News

We were saddened to learn of the sudden passing of artist and educator Todd Marrone just before the new year. Well-known in Philly and beyond for his kindness as well as his talent, Marrone had been a teacher at Welsh Valley Middle School for the past sixteen years. His artwork is an instantly recognizable, ebullient part of the scenery in Manayunk, where he lived with his wife Heather and two children Rocco and Matilda. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Rocco and Matilda Marrone Scholarship Fund in care of: Lower Merion Education Association 306 Parsons Avenue Bala Cynwyd PA 19004. Our condolences go out to the Marrone family.

Karen Kilimnik’s AIA commission, selected for the January issue. phot courtesy of Art in America.

A nice accolade for a Philly-based artist: Art in America has chosen a piece by Karen Kilimnik as one of their featured covers for January 2014 (one for newsstands, one for subscribers). Kilimnik’s cover shows the artist’s picturesque take on the perils of GMOs and fracking.

Opportunities

Students of US-Japan relations will remember 1912 as the year Tokyo made a gift of cherry blossom trees as a symbol of friendship, and, despite intervening history, the tradition still endures from January to April. Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the gift’s anniversary; they’re now currently seeking submissions for their 2015 Official Artist. Artwork is used on official merchandise, including the annual poster, and is seen by over a million people each year, positioning artists to get incredible exposure. Full details on how to apply are available at the Foundation’s website.

Taking on a quest to transform Philadelphia’s forgotten neighborhoods, Tim Eads is curating and directing a new project called Force Field. Designed as an annual festival for experimental dance, audio, and sculptural art, they’re calling for artists to participate in the first event. That’s going to take place June 21-22, 2014 in two Kensington buildings currently being renovated into artist studios and lofts (read: gigantic spaces). Data Garden are curating the music and multimedia portion, and the project is also a non-profit organization through CultureWorks. The only requirements for applying are that you are 21 years or older and live within 300 miles of Philadelphia. However, if youre planning a collaborative project, only one of your members has to within this range. The deadline is January 31, 2014. If you’d like to take a tour of the buildings prior to applying, you can do that as well.

Artist News

The trippy work now on display at Retrospective. Photo courtesy of Retrospective Gallery.

Retrospective, Zach Feuer’s new exhibition space in Hudson, NY, is putting on its inaugural exhibition, Gambler’s Choice by Newark-born Jamian Juliano-Villani from January 11 through February 14. Theres a closing reception with the artist on Friday February 14th from 6-8pm. Future exhibitions at Retrospective include Alex da Corte in August.

Just in case you thought she’d take a post-Art Basel breather, Jenny Lam has been invited to two prime gigs: to be the guest juror for Water Street Studios’ spring show, opening April 11, and to host a series of artist’s workshops at the Chicago Children’s Museum. those are happening this Saturday and Sunday and next Thursday at the Navy Pier.